Hearing aid support



July 4, 1950 3, ROI-[R 2,5i3,748

HEARING AID SUPPORT Filed Feb. 10, 1947 Patented July 4, 1950 UNITEDSTAI'ES PAT ENT OFFICE HEARING AID SUPPORT CarlP. Rohr, San Antonio,Tex.

Application February 10, 1947, SerialNoi 727,567

(Cl. ISL-23) 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to hearing aid devices.

An object of this invention is to provide a hearing aid attachment ofthe air conduction type which is supported from the outside of the earat the point of connection between the ear and the head, so that theweight of the element will not be borne by the orifice of the ear.

Another object of this invention is to provide a supporting means for anair conduction element whereby the element will be positioned behind thecrura of the ear so as to be substantially entirely concealed, the soundwaves being conducted through a small tube connected to a plug which isinserted in the ear orifice, and the plug being formed of transparent orflesh colored plastic material.

A further object of this invention is to provide a support for an airconduction element which will yieldably support the element so that anypulling strain on the Wire conductors will be absorbed by the support.

A further object of this invention is to provide a support for an airconduction element which includes a metal sound conducting tube whichwill tend to magnify the sound produced by the element.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in thearrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in thedrawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of a hearing aid support constructedaccording to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly broken away and insection, of the device,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure1,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure2,

Figure 5 is an inner end elevation of the plug inserted into the earorifice.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I designates generally a plasticbody which is formed with a chamber I I Within which a threaded bushingI2, having an outer flange I3, is adapted to be secured. The bushing I2is adapted to receive the threaded stud I4 of an air conduction hearingaid element I of conventional construction.

The body ID has extending from the forward side thereof a tube It whichcommunicates at its rear end with the chamber II. The tube I6 islongitudinally bent and is adapted to engage on the rear side of the earcrura II so that the body I0 will be substantially concealed behind thecrura of the ear. The opposite end of the tube 16, which comprises asound wave conductor, is embedded within a plug I8 which is adapted tobe inserted within the orifice of the ear.

The tube I6 extends lengthwise through the plug I8 so that the inner endof the tube IE will communicate with the orifice of the ear and thesound will not be in contact with the plastic plug.

In order to support the body [0 in a position substantially concealedbehind the crura, I have provided a hook-shaped flexible supporting wireI9. The rear end of the wire I9 is embedded within the body It and thiswire extends downwardly and forwardly for engagement over the base ofthe ear. The tube I6 and the Wire I9 form a flexible support for thebody II], the tube I6 being bent in hook shape to substantially followthe configuration of the base of the ear.

In the use of this device, the air conduction element is secured withinthe socket or bushing I2 of the body ID. This body I0 may be made ofplastic and may be either transparent or of substantially skin color.The supporting wire I9 is engaged over the ear and the plug I8 isextended into the orifice of the ear. The sound waves generated by theair conduction element IE will be communicated through the tubularconduction element I6 to the orifice of the ear. In this manner the userof this device will not support the hearing aid element I5 directly fromthe ear orifice so that there will not be any strain on the ear due tothe weight of the element. The supporting wire or hook I9 can be used oradjusted as to substantially entirely support the air conduction elementand the tube I G from the base of the ear.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of constructionherein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview ofthe appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A hearing aid support for an air conduction unit, a plug forengagement in the ear orifice, said plug having a passage therein, atube fixed at one end in the passage of said plug, an air conductionsupporting body fixed to the other end of said tube, said body having achamber therein with which said tube communicates, said chamber beingformed to receive an air conduction unit, and a hook-shaped supportingwire fixed at one end to said body and adapted to engage over the baseof the ear said tube being formed as a continuation of said wire behindthe ear constituting with said wire a supporting member for said plugand said air conduction supporting body.

2. A hearing aid support for an air conduction unit comprisingsupporting body having a chamber formed therein adapted to receive anair conduction unit, a pair of opposed openings formed. in said body andcommunicating with said chamher, a hook shaped supporting wire havingone end thereof fixed in one of said openings and adaptedto engage overthe base of the ear, a plug for engagement within the ear orifice andhaving a passage formed therethrough, a longitudinally bent soundconducting tube having the opposite ends thereof fixed in said passageand in the other of said body openings respectively and adapted toengage under and behind the ear crura and with said wire provide asupport for said 4 plug and said air conduction unit supporting body.

CARL P. ROHR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 1,224,331 Smart May 1, 19171,384,595 Buck July 12, 1921 1,581,700 Summer Apr. 20, 1926 1,587,643Harman June 8, 1926 15 1,969,559 Kelly Aug. 7, 1934 Lieber Mar. 28, 1939

